Safety garment hanger



June 20, 1939. J, H, BECKMANN 2,162,796

SAFETY GARMENT HANGER Filed March :51. 1938 INVENTOR Jacoxzzzdfiecd'mazm W ATTORNEY Patented June 20, 1939 vireo STATES ATENTOFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements. in a safetygarment hanger.

More specifically, the invention proposes the construction of a safetydress or garment hanger 6 characterized by a hanger of conventionalconstruction having a support bar and a hook attached to the centerthereof and upon which fingers are supported for engaging the ends ofthe support bar to clamp portions of a garment -thereon to prevent thegarment from slipping from the hanger.

Still further it is proposed to provide the fingers at their inner endswith a bifurcated end, one portion of which is adapted to engage a leaf'spring supported upon said support bar and the other end of which isadapted to be used as a handle for urging the fingers into operativepositions against the action of the leaf springs.

Another object of this invention is to provide the outer ends of thefingers with elements for engaging the garment supported on the supportbar for frictionally holding it in position thereon.

A further object of this invention is to provide the spring with aplurality of lateral sections of different stiifnesses and to laterallyshiftaoly support the fingers-so that they maybe seiectively engagedwith one of said sections for controlling the engagement of the end ofsaid finger against the garment on-said; support bar.

': For further comprehension of the invention,

and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had-to thefollowing description and accompanying drawing, and to the appendedclaims in which the various novel features of the invention are moreparticularly. set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1' is an elevational view of a safety garment hanger constructedaccording to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View. taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

' Fig. 4 isa view looking in the direction of the line ii of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View on the line 5+5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to. Fig. 4 but illustrating a modification ofthe invention.

Fig. '7 is a sectional view on the line 'l-'l of Fig. 6.

Fig- 8 is an elevational view of a still further 55g modified form oftip for. said finger.

fingers per se. 10,:

The safety garment hanger, according to this invention, includes asupport bar lil for engaging the shoulder portions of a garment. Thissupport baris constructed from wood' or similar material. l 5

A hook ii is attached to the'center of the bar Iii. The hook II isconstructed from apiece of relatively stiff wire which has one of itsends extending axiallythrough the support bar lil at the 'centerth'ereofand which is provided at its other end with a rounded'portion I l whichis adapted to engage a support intl'ie usual manner;

3 A small housing I2 is mounted on the support.

bar and engages the lower extremity of the hook H. The housing IZ isconstructed from a piece of sheet metal or other material and it. issubstantially rectangular in shape and is formedv at one'of its sideswithdownwardly extending lugs l2 by whichit issecurely. attached to thesupport bar Ii). Thetop wall of the small housing I2 is formed with anopening- I2? throughwhich the hook Ii extends.

A leaf spring 13. substantially oval in shape, is mounted within thehousing; Hand has an opening Is through which the lower extremity of thehook. Ill passes, and has its end portions engaging the sides. of thelower extremity of the hook. The leaf spring is constructed from a:piece of spring steel and is bent into substantially'oval shape and hasits free ends l3. bent at right angles thereto so as to engage flushagainst the lower extremity of the hook l I.

Fingers M for engaging the support bar [0 to clamp portions of a garmentthereon to preventv the garment from slipping off the hanger have one oftheir ends pivotally mounted on the housing. Pins l5 extending throughthe ends of the housing l2 pass through openings I4 formed in the endsof the fingers M for pivotally supporting the same. The end of thefingers l4 adjacent their pivoting points are bifurcated and have aportion M engaging against the leaf spring l3 for holding the fingers I4in operative or inoperative positions. The other For engaging a garmentupon the support bar If) the ends M of the fingers are grasped and urgedtowards the hook I I for moving the fingers M to their operativeposition as shown by the full lines on the right hand side of Fig. 1.The garment is then engaged upon the support bar ill in the customarymanner and the ends Mi of the fingers are urged away from the hook H tocause the fingers Hi to be moved to their operative positions in whichthe felt members it will engage the garment for frictionally holding itin 7 position thereon to prevent it from sliding therefrom.

According to the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the ends of thefingers l4 are formed with rubber elements l6 which are adapted toencircle the ends of the fingers l4 and engage against the shoulderportion of a garment for frictionally maintaining it in position on thesupport bar. In other respects this form of the invention is similar tothe previous form.

According to the modification shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the fingers M" areformed at their outer ends with bifurcated ends Hi which are adapted tohave small wheels 16" rotatively supported thereon. These wheels I6 arerotatively supported upon pins l1 extending between the ends M The outerperiphery of the wheels 16" are formed with serrations Ill which areadapted to assist in frictionally maintaining the garment in position onthe support bar l0. In other respects this form of the invention issimilar to the previous forms.

According to the modification shown in Figs. 10-13 inclusive the springl3 has its active portions divided into .a plurality of lateral sectionsI3 l3 and I3 all of different stiifnesses. The fingers M are laterallyshiftable relative to the housing so that the end 14' may be selectivelyengaged with the different sections of the spring l3 for varying thegripping actions of these fingers. The means for forming the sections ofdifferent stiffness comprise reinforcing elements i3 attached to theinner face of the sections l3 for increasing the stiffness of thesesections over the section l3. The ends of the sections l3 also buttagainst the lower extremity of the hook for stiffening these sections toa greater degree than the sections I? and I3 The section l3 has elementsl3 attached to its inner face for increasing the stiffness of thissection relative to the section l3. Thus the sections W are weakest, thesections 3 are next strongest and the sections ii'l are strongest. Thefingers M are adapted to be shifted to the positions illustrated by thedot and dash lines M shownin Fig. 10 for controlling the engagement ofthese fingers with the garment supported upon the support bar Hi. Theouter faces of the sections I3 l3 and I3 are convexed slightly in wardsand are adapted to be engaged by the end I l of the fingers 14 formaintaining the fingers in adjusted positions upon the pivot pin l5.

The operation of this form of the device is as follows:

The garment is engaged upon the support bar in a manner similar to thatdescribed relative to Figs. 1-5, but in the event that the garment istoo heavy and there is not sufficient pressure on the ends of thefingers I4 to maintain the garment in position upon the support bar in,the fingers l4 may be shifted to engage either of the stiffer fingers 13or I3 for properly supporting the garment on the support bar l0.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A safety garment hanger, cor nprising a sup;

port bar for engaging the shoulder portions of a garment, a hookattached on the center of said bar, a small housing mounted on saidsupport bar and encasing the lower extremity of said hook, a leaf springof oval shape mounted within said housing and said leaf spring having anopening in its center through which the lower portion of said hookpasses and having its end portions engaging the sides of said lowerportion of the hook, fingers for engaging the support bar to clampportions of a garment thereon to prevent the garment from slipping offthe hanger, and said fingers being pivotally mounted on said housing andhaving bifurcated inner ends, one of the portions of which engage saidleaf spring for holding the fingers raised or lowered, and the otherportions of which project from said housing and form handles by whichthe fingers may be moved.

2. A safety garment hanger, comprising a support bar for engaging theshoulder portions of a garment, a hook attached on the center of saidbar, a small housing mounted on said support bar and encasing the lowerextremity of said hook, a leaf spring of oval shape mounted within saidhousing and said leaf spring having an opening in its center throughwhich the lower portion of said hook passes and having its end portionsengaging the sides of said lower portion of the hook, fingers forengaging the support bar to clamp portions of .a garment thereon toprevent the garment from slipping off the hanger, and said fingers beingpivotally mounted on said housing and having bifurcated inner ends, oneof the portions of which engage said leaf spring for holding the fingersraised or lowered, and the other portions of which project from saidhousing .and form handles by which the fingers may be moved, said hookbeing formed from a piece of stiff wire and having one of its endsconnected with said support bar at the center thereof and the other ofits ends formed into the shape of a hook for engaging a support element.

3. A safety garment hanger, comprising a support bar for engaging theshoulder portions of a garment, a hook attached on the center of saidbar, a small housing mounted on said support bar and encasing the lowerextremity of said hook, a leaf spring of oval shape mounted within saidhousing and said leaf spring having an opening in its center throughwhich the lower portion of said hook passes and having its end portionsengaging the sides of said lower portion of the hook, fingers forengaging the support bar to clamp portions of a garment thereon toprevent the garment from slipping off the hanger, and said fingers beingpivotally mounted on said housing .and having bifurcated inner ends, oneof the portions of which engage said leaf spring for holding the fingersraised or lowered,

and the other portions of which project from said housing and formhandles by which the fingers may be moved, said hook being formed fro-ma piece of stiff wire and having one of its ends connected with saidsupport bar at the center thereof and the other of its ends formed intothe shape of a hook for engaging a support element, said housing beingconstructed from a piece of sheet metal or similar material and beingformed on its bottom wall with downwardly extending lugs by which itissecurely attached to the said support bar and having an opening formedin its top wall through which the lower end of said hook passes.

4. A safety garment hanger, comprising a support bar for engaging theshoulder portions of a garment, a hook attached on the center of saidbar, a small housing mounted on said support bar and encasing the hook,a leaf spring of oval shape mounted within said housing and said leafspring having an opening in its center through which the lower portionof said hook passes and having its end portions engaging the sides ofsaid lower portion of the hook, fingers for engaging the support bar toclamp portions of a garment thereon to prevent the garment from slippingoff the hanger, and said fingers being pivotally mounted on said housingand having bifurcated inner ends, one of the portions of which engagesaid leaf spring for holding the fingers raised or lowered, and theother portions of which project from said housing and form handles bywhich the fingers may be moved, said leaf spring being constructed froma piece of spring steel and having its free ends turned inwards so as tolay flush against the sides of said hook.

5. A safety garment hanger, comprising a support bar for engaging theshoulder portions of a garment, a hook attached on the center of saidbar, a small housing mounted on said support bar and encasing the lowerextremity of said hook, a leaf spring of oval shape mounted within saidhousing and said leaf spring having an opening in its center throughwhich the lower portion of said hook passes and having its end portionsengaging the sides of said lower portion of the hook, fingers forengaging the support bar to clamp portions of a. garment thereon toprevent the garment from slipping off the hanger, and said fingers beingpivotally mounted on said housing and having bifurcated inner ends, oneof the portions of which engage said leaf spring for holding the fingersraised or lowered, and the other portions of which project from saidhousing and form handles by which the fingers may be moved, said fingersbeing pivotally supported at their inner ends upon pins extendingthrough the ends of said housing.

6. A safety garment hanger, comprising a sup port bar for engaging theshoulder portions of a garment, a hook attached on the center of saidbar, a small housing mounted on said support bar and encasing the lowerextremity of said hook, a leaf spring of oval shape mounted within lowerextremity of said,

said housing and said leaf spring having an opening in its centerthrough which the lower portion of said hook passes and having its endportions engaging the sides of said lower portion of the hook, fingersfor engaging the support bar to clamp portions of a garment thereon topre- Vent'the garment from slipping off the hanger, and said fingersbeing pivotally mounted on said housing and having bifurcated innerends, one of the portions of which engage said leaf spring for holdingthe fingers raised or lowered, and the other portions of which projectfrom said housing and form handles by which the fingers may be moved,said portion of said bifurcated end which is adapted to be used as ahandle extends through a slot formed in the top wall of said housing andbeing adapted to be moved towards said hook or away from said hook forcontrolling the operative and inoperative positions of said fingers.

7. A safety garment hanger, comprising a support bar for engaging theshoulder portions of a garment, a hook attached on the center of saidbar, a small housing mounted on said support bar and encasing the lowerextremity of said hook, a leaf spring of oval shape mounted within saidhousing and said leaf spring having an opening in its center throughwhich the lower portion of said hook passes and having its endportionsengaging the sides of said lower portion of the hook, fingersfor engaging the support bar to clamp portions of a garment thereon toprevent the garment from slipping off the hanger, and said fingers beingpivotally mounted on said housing and having bifurcated inner ends, oneof the portions of which project from said housing and form handles bywhich the fingers may be moved, said spring having a plurality oflateral sections of different stiffness, and said fin gers beinglaterally shiftable relative to said housing to have the ends thereofengage the different sections of the spring for varying the grippingaction of the fingers.

8. A safety garment hanger, comprising a sup port bar for engaging theshoulder portions of a garment, a hook-attached on the center of saidbar, a small housing mounted on said support bar and encasing the lowerextremity of said hook, a leaf spring of oval shape mounted within saidhousing and said leaf spring having an opening in its center throughwhich the lower portion of said hook passes and having its end portionsengaging the sides of said lower portion of the hook, fingers forengaging the support bar to clamp portions of a garment thereon toprevent the garment from slipping off the hanger, and said fingers beingpivotally mounted on said housing and having bifurcated inner ends, oneof the portions of which engage said leaf spring for holding thevfingers raised or lowered, and the other portions of which project fromsaid housing and form handles by which the fingers may be moved, saidspring having a plurality of lateral sections of different stiffness,and said fingers being laterally shiftable relative to said housing tohave the ends thereof engage the different sections of the spring forvarying the gripping action of the fingers, said means for stiifeningsaid sections comprising elements of different stiffness attached to theinner faces of said sections for increasing the stiffness of one sectionover the stiffness of its next adjacent section.

JACOB HAZAI BECKMANN.

